He credits Harvard’s Tim Murphy, Thomas Stephenson Family Head Coach for Harvard Football, with helping him grow as a player and a person during his time in Cambridge. An emphasis on hard work, time management, and strength of character are the hallmarks of Murphy’s approach to coaching, said Brate, as is brutal honesty. Murphy, who also leads the tight end squad, doesn’t hold back when displeased. “As a freshman it was pretty terrible because every time you messed up [at tight end] the head coach was on you about it,” Brate recalled. But the tough love, and Murphy’s insistence that his team know the game inside and out, only made him better. “He helped me so much as a player … I was just able to learn so much from him.”

Brate is humble when thinking back on his Harvard highlight reel. He cites a home game against Brown his sophomore year in the rain, under the lights. His dad was in the stands, and Brate remembers he played well. Murphy remembers that game too, in particular a tricky third down catch. “He had to reach behind him to catch this ball, at the same time the Browns safety made a tremendous play, it was an extremely physical hit,” recalled Murphy. “Cameron hits the turf, bounces up, hands the ball to the official, and signals first down. I turned to one of my assistants and said, ‘Wow, what the heck do we have here?’”

Another standout moment for Brate came a year later, again at Harvard’s stadium. In this one Brate credits former Crimson quarterback Colton Chapple for delivering a perfect setup. “He threw a great pass, right over a guy, and I was able to go up and get it.” The end-zone catch also just happened to be the game winner in that year’s Harvard-Yale showdown.

Murphy said Brate’s unassuming personality stood out to him early on. “He was a very humble, kind of laid-back kid, confident in his own shoes, just a great kid,” said Murphy. “And it’s 100 percent authentic.”

And his talent was undeniable. Brate finished his Harvard career as one of the all-time leading receivers in Harvard history. As he has done with other standouts on the Harvard team, Murphy sat Brate down midway through his College career to talk about the NFL. Inspired by his coach’s encouragement, and the encouragement of his friend and former Crimson teammate Kyle Juszczyk ’13, a fullback for the San Francisco 49ers, Brate decided to go for it. “I kind of went all in on football. And if it didn’t work out, it didn’t work out,” he said. “I wasn’t going to have any regrets.”

Getting into the NFL wasn’t easy. He was passed over in the 2014 draft, but had expected as much, hoping instead to later sign with a team and prove himself in training camp. But the calls never came. Eventually he got a trial with the Minnesota Vikings, but they didn’t have a spot for him, so he hopped on a plane to Tampa for a brief workout consisting of 10 routes. The coaches were impressed and signed him. Brate played a couple of games his rookie season but was eventually cut from the squad. His second year, he headed to New Orleans, only to have Tampa call him back a week later. He’s been there ever since.

Brate defines himself as more of a “pass receiving” tight end, but he blocks, too, and he credits early NFL coaches and veterans for helping him learn how to stop someone “much bigger.” At 6’5” and 236 pounds, Brate is big, but the onrushing linemen he said are “huge.” What’s the best piece of blocking advice he’s ever received? “It doesn’t always have to be pretty.”

The rough nature of the game seems at odds with Brate’s off-field demeanor. On the phone last Sunday afternoon from his home in Tampa, what sounded like tropical birds chirping in the background turned out to be Brate’s dog Archie, a mini golden doodle. The offensive lineman and receiver was hosting a doggie playdate with his friend’s dog Gigi, a shiba inu, and the two pups were tussling with a particularly squeaky plastic red ball.

 

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Brate’s even temper will no doubt help him handle whatever happens on Sunday. Win or lose, Brate said he is looking forward to having his family at the game and is excited that he and his fiancée, Brooke Skelley, a member of the Super Bowl’s host committee, will be able to share in the day’s excitement. “It’s kind of like the pinnacle moment of our careers are both coming together and lining up on Sunday night,” said Brate. “And hopefully we can get the win and celebrate afterwards.”

As for life after he hangs up his cleats, Brate, who describes himself as “more of a math guy than a writing guy,” has a plan. He got hooked on economics at Harvard and has been taking classes toward his M.B.A. “That’s definitely something that I envision myself doing during my career, and hopefully finishing up when I’m done playing.” Asked whether Harvard might be in his plans for graduate school, Brate answers like someone who has wintered in both Massachusetts and in Florida.

“I haven’t given it a ton of thought. There are a couple places I think weatherwise that I would find more enjoyable,” he laughed, “but we will see.”